


sun rays and soft beats

by sigourneyreefer



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Avatrice, F/F, Fluff, Music Mention, One Shot, Sensory Exploration, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26374660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sigourneyreefer/pseuds/sigourneyreefer
Summary: Ava claims a favorite secret spot where she can decompress and calm her humming-bird-heart; Beatrice find her; they have a moment of quietly sharing space and music through a smuggled CD walkman.
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 9
Kudos: 127





	sun rays and soft beats

Ava is lying in a patch of grass just outside the walls of Cat’s Cradle; it’s one of the only places there that she’s been able to find that meets enough of her outdoor desires - grass, for texture and sensation; direct sunlight, until the evening when the ancient stone compound starts to block the lovely warming rays; and enough distance to keep out of sight of Lilith or Mother Superion, or that sister with the massive biceps who makes her feel just a little inexplicably tingly… 

Camilla loaned Ava an old, delicate CD player walkman that she smuggled in with her when she arrived, and has kept secret and hidden, listens to late at night when she misses her mother and can’t sleep - a mood Ava quietly can relate to. When she can find a moment to give Camilla the *“I need to escape this place (and my anxiety) for an hour”* eyebrow wiggle-head nod combo, make the exchange of the coveted CD player and tangled headphones, she likes to sneak through the halls, phasing through walls as necessary to avoid detection, and settle into the half-itchy yet comforting patch of grass she’s claimed as her own. 

Camilla only has 2 CDs, one classical music that tends to put Ava right to sleep, and another with a mix of soft hip hop and bass-y instrumental music. The latter is the one Ava prefers - it’s music she never heard before leaving the orphanage; the bass and electronic noises brings her into her body, the rhythm and repetition reminding her of her own heartbeat, giving just enough influence to her humming-bird anxiously beating heart to calm her down after 2 or 3 songs.

Ava, laying sprawled on the grass, soaking in sun-warmth, eyes closed, absent mindedly twisting long blades of soft green between her fingers, gets about 4 songs in before she feels a shadow creep over her face. Knowing it’s only 2 in the afternoon and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, freezes, and squints her eyes open carefully, afraid to see who’s found and caught her in her very secret very soft safe spot. She shoots her eyes open all the way when she recognizes Beatrice’s shoulder outline.

“Ohh…. hey, Bea,” she squints out at her sheepishly, “how’s it going?” She adds a cheesing grimace to hopefully soften the other girl.

“What are you doing out here?” Beatrice starts to ask. “Lilith is looking for you. You’ve got sparring and training in 15 minutes, and since you’re not there already, she’s considering you late.” 

Ava brings a hand up to block some of the sun, to look more directly at Beatrice. (a thought of, both the sun and Beatrice glowing, being hard to look at directly, starts to bubble inside of her but she squashes it down) “I just needed a minute or thirty to myself, before two whole hours of Lilith kicking my ass. You know, uh, hype myself up, mental preparations.”

Beatrice looks thoughtful for a moment, at least that’s what Ava hopes it is instead of annoyance, and then she lowers herself to sit in the grass next to Ava. “That’s understandable. I would say you have another 10 minutes,” she glaces up towards the sun, as though telling time based on its position in the sky. “Maybe 12, if you walk quickly on your way back inside.” She looks back to Ava, still looking thoughtful. “What are you listening to? Where did you even manage to get *that*?” She asks, pointing at the CD player.

Ava props herself up on her elbows now, caught between being honest with Beatrice and keeping Camilla’s musical comfort secret. “Uhh, well….” Beatrice stops her with a slight hand raise, “Actually, no, it’s okay.” Ava wonders if maybe she knows who she got it from. She pulls out an ear bud and offers it to Beatrice. “Do you… want to listen with me for a little? I really like this song. It… it feels good in my chest to listen to it.”

Beatrice pauses. 2, 3, 4 beats pass. Then she reaches to Ava’s hand for the earbud and moves to lay next to her, shoulders inches away. She settles into the grass with a soft rustle, tucks the tiny piece of plastic into her ear, and after a few seconds lets out a light sigh. 

Ava is quietly, selfishly glad that Beatrice came at this exact moment - this specific section of the song is her very favorite. Ava rests her hand on her own abdomen and tapping lightly to the repetitive bass humming in her ear. Keeping her eyes mostly closed, barely open a squint, she tries to glance over to Beatrice. Her face looks calm, her eyes closed. The sun on her skin gets Ava’s heart beating just a little faster than it had been; their proximity isn’t helping her pre-sparring calm-session, but she’s not the least bit upset. The way Beatrice’s presence makes her heart thud is nothing but delightful and exhilarating, compared to the anxiety tremble that accompanies the fear of failing in front of Lilith. She tries to change her focus to the grass under the skin of her exposed arms, the slight itch and tickle, the green smell, the delicate whisper of the afternoon breeze. Somehow, it makes the experience even more… intoxicating. She lets herself breathe deep and sigh. 

Before she knows it, much quicker than she’d like, Beatrice starts to sit up, removing her ear bud, and she softly quickly touches Ava’s arm. “I think it’s time to head back inside now.” Ava rolls her eyes upward under her closed eyelids and lets out a light groan. She rolls over onto her stomach and presses her face directly into the grass. She groans again, a little louder, and muffled by the sweet-smelling earth. She can hear a slight smirk in Beatrice’s voice, “ 3 minutes before you’re on time, but definitely still late by Lilith’s terms.” 3 beats pass, and Ava can feel Beatrice give a light touch between her shoulder blades. Fleeting, so soft, she wonders if it was even real. Beatrice stands up. When Ava lifts her head and looks up, Beatrice is extending a hand to help her up. 

Ava groans the whole time she lifts herself to her knees and takes Beatrice’s hand to help her up the rest of the way. Slowly starting towards the compound, she brushes small bits of grass from her clothes. “Uh,” she starts, “would you mind maybe not telling anyone about my secret sun bathing spot? Or… about the illicit illegal music playing device?” She gives Beatrice the same cheesing grimace as before. Beatrice knowingly closes her eyes and lifts a hand in a sign of making a promise. “Your secret is safe.” Ava smiles fully this time. “Cool. Cool cool. Maybe… if you want… you could listen to the whole CD with me sometime?” Beatrice “hmms,” as she opens the heavy door back into the walls of Cats Cradle. “That sounds nice.” another short pause as she holds the door open for Ava to enter first. “Maybe, I could show you *my* secret quiet place,” she whispers.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! been a long time since i've written anything, anywhere, but these precious sweeties have been so inspiring - as well as all the amazing authors in this fandom


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